Robot system and method for removing sticks and/or foreign elements from conveyor belts

ABSTRACT

At present, the removal the sticks from the mineral feeding lines, as a result of the mineral extraction, is carried out manually or using mechanical equipment, which means a loss of efficiency of the grinding and crushing system, high exposure to the risks associated to the removal of foreign elements of grinding material, this method does not guarantee problems from this cause in the subsequent stages in the grinding and crushing process. Due to the above, a robot system and method have been developed for the removal of sticks from the conveyor belts. The robotic system is composed mainly of an anthropomorphous robotic manipulator of at least 5 degrees of freedom, and a gripping mechanism which is supported by a vision system allowing, in a sequential and programmed way, to remove the sticks . In this regard, most of the problems associated to the safety of the personnel and the productivity of the current manual and/or mechanical process are eliminated.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent applicationSer. No. 60/734,974 filed 2005 Nov. 10 by the present inventor

FEDERAL SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

This invention relates to the use of robotic technology in miningindustry, specifically in material transport through conveyor belts

BACKGROUND

2. Prior Art

The extractive mining is the science of extracting the metals or otherproducts with metallic content from the mines. In other words, it is theway in which the mineral is retrieved from the ore deposit, treatedinside the mine and how is transported to the plant.

According to the exploitation method, there are 2 types. The first onecalled open pit exploitation which is a set of operations needed toextract the rock or the mineral with economic value, through theretrieval of the mineral recovering in a partial or complete way fromthe surface. This type of exploitation is used when the mineralized bodyis over or near the surface.

The second method is called underground exploitation. Access tunnels arebuilt to reach the mineralized belt. The rock retrieval is performedthrough the use of explosives. The mineral is removed taking advantageof the weight of the mineral itself. In general this type ofexploitation could be separated into three groups:

-   -   Rooms and pillars: the mineral is removed and empty rooms are        being generated inside the hill, where mining pillars are        installed. Once the mineral is treated the room is filled with        sterile material to avoid the hill from collapsing.    -   Block caving: This method consists of preparing a block through        different levels. The block is weakened on its base by digging        tunnels through it so it is solely supported by the pillars        being formed in different rooms.    -   Sub Level Caving: This is a high cost method based on the        principle described above, in which parallel production rooms        are prepared every 11 meters in the horizontal and 11 meters in        the vertical so as to cover the mineralized body to be        exploited.

The mineral is extracted with a very uneven shape from the mine, and itsreduction is needed for evenness. This is carried out in differentstages such as crushing and grinding depending on the reduction sizerequired.

During the crushing process the size reduction of the mine layers isproduced to the required size according to the hydrometallurgical pointto be used. Generally, there are three crushing stages are passed wherethe mineral is reduced to 4″ to 8″ and finally 1/4″ a 3/8″ to be sent tothe fine heap pile.

The grinding process is one of the simplest current method for mineralcomminution and with other supplementary stages to obtain in a selectiveand pure way the copper product. This stage is intended to reduce thesize of the incoming mineral to produce fines leaving it under certainconditions for a new process. This operation could be carried out underdry or wet conditions.

Nevertheless, during the grinding and crushing processes, elements whichare dragged by the material are detected on the conveyor belts. Suchelements usually are sticks or wood residues, which were used inunderground exploitation.

At present, the task of removing such sticks from the conveyor belts iscarried out manually and/or mechanically which has some disadvantagessuch as:

-   -   Decrease in productivity due to the fact that the conveyor belt        is stopped during the removal of the foreign elements.    -   Costs associated to the personnel involving the manual and/or        mechanical removal.    -   The manual removal of the sticks from the conveyor belt is an        activity which has a high accident rate risk.    -   The operators in charge of the manual reposition are subjected        to a constant physical demand in harsh environmental conditions.

SUMMARY

A robotic system and method have been developed for the automatedremoval of sticks and/or foreign elements from conveyor belts. Therobotic arm uses the gripping mechanism to remove the sticks from aconveyor belt and moves them to a container.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES:

FIG. 1. General view of a robot system removing sticks and/or foreignelements from the conveyor belts

FIG. 2. General view of a robot system removing sticks and/or foreignelements from the conveyor belts

DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS:

1. Robotic manipulator

2. Gripping mechanism

3. Sticks

4. Conveyor belt

5. Container

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to a new robot system as well as a robotic methodfor the removal of sticks and/or foreign elements from conveyor belts,which is carried out automatically through anthropomorphous robotic armsof at least 5 degrees of freedom, which are installed at one side of theconveyor belt under concern.

With reference to FIG. No. 1 and 2, the robot system for the removal ofconveyor belts is composed mainly of one robotic manipulator of at least5 degrees of freedom (1), provided with a communication, acquisition andcontrol system, and a gripping mechanism (2) to allow to take the sticks(3) from the conveyor belt (4) and deposit them at one side in acontainer (5). The system additionally has a vision system which isprovided with cameras and one logic processing unit as support to therobotic system.

1. A robot system for the removal of sticks and/or foreign elements fromthe conveyor belts, comprising an anthropomorphous robotic arm of atleast 5 degrees of freedom, one control, communication and programmingunit, one gripper adapter, one pneumatic gripper, its fingers, onepneumatic gripper driving system, one electric supply system, onecontainer to deposit the sticks and/or foreign elements, one visionsystem provided with cameras and one logic processing unit wherein theanthropomorphous robotic arm of at least 5 degrees of freedom isprovided with a gripping mechanism which allows in a sequential andprogrammed way to take, manipulate and release the sticks from aconveyor belt, and moves them through a defined path, to a containerwhich is next to the system.
 2. A robot system for the removal of sticksand/or foreign elements from the conveyor belts according to claim 1,wherein the robotic manipulator has the capacity to move and manipulatesticks and/or foreign elements in a sequential and programmed way indifferent paths within the work volume of the robot system.
 3. A robotsystem for the removal of sticks and/or foreign elements from theconveyor belts according to claim 1, wherein a pneumatic or hydraulicgripping mechanism is used to take, manipulate and release the elements.4. A robot system for the removal of sticks and/or foreign elements fromthe conveyor belts according to claim 1, wherein the anthropomorphousrobotic manipulator could communicate by itself or through a PLCinterface with the control system.
 5. A robot system for the removal ofsticks and/or foreign elements from the conveyor belts according toclaim 1, wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator has thecapacity to obtain and interpret the information from installed analogueand/or digital sensors.
 6. A robot system for the removal of sticksand/or foreign elements from the conveyor belts according to claim 1,wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator has the capacity togenerate analogue and/or digital signals to control analogue and/ordigital input devices.
 7. A robot system for the removal of sticksand/or foreign elements from the conveyor belts according to claim 1,wherein the robotic manipulator has a pneumatic gripping mechanismcomprising at least 2 fingers, which allows to grasp and release sticksand/or foreign elements in conveyor belts.
 8. A robot system for theremoval of sticks and/or foreign elements from the conveyor beltsaccording to claim 1, wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulatorhas an electrical system driven by three-stage induction motors, withvectorial and/or scalar control.
 9. A robot system for the removal ofsticks and/or foreign elements from the conveyor belts according toclaim 1, wherein the robotic manipulator has the capacity to move andmanipulate the sticks in different paths within the work volume of therobotic system.
 10. A robot system for the removal of sticks and/orforeign elements from the conveyor belts according to claim 1, whereintwo mobile drawers are used which are next to the system.
 11. A robotsystem for the removal of sticks and/or foreign elements from theconveyor belts, wherein productivity and efficiency of the removal ofsticks from the conveyor belts increases.
 12. robot system for theremoval of sticks and/or foreign elements from the conveyor beltsaccording to claim 1, wherein it prevents the plant personnel from beingsubjected to a high physical demand and harsh environmental conditions.13. A robot system for the removal of sticks and/or foreign elementsfrom the conveyor belts according to claim 1, wherein the system mayoperate automatically, or semi-automatically and also allows solutionsscalability.
 14. A robot system for the removal of sticks and/or foreignelements from the conveyor belts according to claim 1, wherein thesystem could be integrated to the removal process of sticks and/orforeign elements in different stages of the productive process such ascrushing, grinding, smelting, roasting of different metals of interestsuch as copper, iron, zinc, nickel, silver, gold, tin, lead, etc.
 15. Arobotic method for the removal of sticks and/or foreign elements fromthe conveyor belts using the robot System of claim 1 to 14, wherein theanthropomorphous robotic arm of at least 5 degrees of freedom isprovided with a gripping mechanism which allows in a sequential andprogrammed way to take, manipulate and release the sticks from aconveyor belt so as they are moved through a defined path, and depositedin a container, which is next to the system.
 16. A robotic method forthe removal of sticks and/or foreign elements from the conveyor beltsusing the robot System of claim 1 to 14, wherein the system has thecapacity to move and manipulate the sticks and/or foreign elements in asequential and programmed way, in different paths within the work volumeof the robot system.
 17. A robotic method for the removal of sticksand/or foreign elements from the conveyor belts using the robot Systemof claim 1 to 14, wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator couldcommunicate by itself or through a PLC interface with the controlsystem.
 18. A robotic method for the removal of sticks and/or foreignelements from the conveyor belts using the robot System of claim 1 to14, wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator has the capacity toobtain and interpret the information from installed analogue and/ordigital sensors.
 19. A robotic method for the removal of sticks and/orforeign elements from the conveyor belts using the robot System of claim1 to 14, wherein the anthropomorphous robotic manipulator has thecapacity to generate analogue and/or digital signals to control theanalogue and/or digital inputs devices.
 20. A robotic method for theremoval of sticks and/or foreign elements from the conveyor belts usingthe robot System of claim 1 to 14, wherein the robotic manipulator has apneumatic gripping mechanism which allows to take, manipulate andrelease the elements.
 21. A robotic method for the removal of sticksand/or foreign elements from the conveyor belts using the robot Systemof claim 1 to 14, wherein the system has a pneumatic gripping mechanismcomprising at least 2 fingers, which allows to grasp and release thesticks and/or foreign elements from the conveyor belts.
 22. A roboticmethod for the removal of sticks and/or foreign elements from theconveyor belts using the robot System of claim 1 to 14, wherein theanthropomorphous robotic manipulator has an electrical system driven bythree-stage induction motors with vectorial and/or scalar control.
 23. Arobotic method for the removal of sticks and/or foreign elements fromthe conveyor belts using the robot system of claim 1 to 14, wherein ithas the capacity to move and manipulate the sticks in different pathswithin the work volume of the robotic system.
 24. A robotic method forthe removal of sticks and/or foreign elements from the conveyor beltsusing the robot System of claim 1 to 14, wherein two mobile containersare used which are next to the system.
 25. A robotic method for theremoval of sticks and/or foreign elements from the conveyor belts usingthe robot System of claim 1 to 14, wherein productivity and efficiencyin the removal process of sticks from conveyor belts increases.
 26. Arobotic method for the removal of sticks and/or foreign elements fromthe conveyor belts using the robot System of claim 1 to 14, wherein itprevents the plant personnel from being subjected to a high physicaldemand and harsh environmental conditions.
 27. A robotic method for theremoval of sticks and/or foreign elements from the conveyor belts usingthe robot System of claim 1 to 14, wherein the system may operateautomatically or semi-automatically, and also allows solutionscalability.
 28. A robotic method for the removal of sticks and/orforeign elements from the conveyor belts using the robot system of claim1 to 14, wherein it could be integrated to the removal of sticks and/orforeign elements in the different stages of the productive process suchas crushing, grinding, smelting, roasting of different metals ofinterest such as copper, iron, nickel, silver, gold, tin, lead, etc.